Sunday, October 25, 2009

It happened again this evening. As I was leaving Saint Clement's Shrine after a visit with Jesus, I spotted a stack of xeroxed sheets labeled "Miraculous Prayer to Saint Jude." Sighing, I glanced at them and, sure enough, there was a lovely prayer to the Saint of Hopeless and Desperate Cases...and a not so lovely instruction:

"Make 90 copies of this prayer and distribute 10 each to 9 different churches immediately...you will surely get your wish, guaranteed!"

Or some such drivel.

As usual, I tossed them in the trash. Where such garbage belongs.

I happen to consider Saint Jude a very good friend.

And as such, it pains me to see him used as a baal.

It is a good thing to ask for this good saint's intercession, particularly in situations which seem hopeless.

It is a bad thing to think that he's a magician.

It's a terrible thing to think that one can manipulate what is, after all, God's domain.

If you are facing what appears to be a hopeless or desperate situation, three things:

1) You're not, really. You're just facing a situation that you, personally, can't see how to handle.

2) This is a good reason to ask Saint Jude to intercede on your behalf. Let him do it. Don't muck it up by adding your own brand o' witchcraft to the mix.

3) Remember that you're asking the good saint to pray for you! You're not asking him to wave a magic wand (he doesn't own one) and you're not helping matters by spreading idolatry around.

Okay? Thank you. When I approach Saint Jude, I often ask him to pray for folks who misuse his love this way.

Thursday, October 08, 2009

When Pope Benedict visits this country next year, he is expected to stay at Buckingham Palace as a guest of the Queen. The warmth of her welcome will come as no surprise to the Pontiff, if senior sources at the Vatican are to be believed.

Saturday, October 03, 2009

When he brought her to the man, the man said: "This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called 'woman, ' for out of 'her man’ this one has been taken." That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.

"Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them.

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Once again (70 x 7?) it's time to pray for priests. Once again, it's time to pray for Father Richard McBrien. And, if I might say so (and I hate to do it), once again, it's time for priests—good, orthodox priests—to face the fact that some o' their brother priests aren't exactly following Catholic teaching and, maybe...even say something about it?

Notwithstanding Pope Benedict XVI's personal endorsement of eucharistic adoration and the sporadic restoration of the practice in the archdiocese of Boston and elsewhere, it is difficult to speak favorably about the devotion today.

Now that most Catholics are literate and even well-educated, the Mass is in the language of the people (i.e, the vernacular), and its rituals are relatively easy to understand and follow, there is little or no need for extraneous eucharistic devotions. The Mass itself provides all that a Catholic needs sacramentally and spiritually.

Eucharistic adoration, perpetual or not, is a doctrinal, theological, and spiritual step backward, not forward.

Glorious Guardian of my soul,You who shine in God's beautiful HeavenAs a sweet and pure flameNear the Eternal's throne,You come down to earth for me,And enlightening me with your splendor,Fair Angel, you become my Brother,My Friend, my Consoler!...For you the Kingdom and the Glory,The Riches of the King of kings.For me the ciborium's humble Host.For me the Cross's treasure.With the Cross, with the Host,With your celestial aid,In peace I await the other life,The joys that will last forever.